Window filter fan



March 19, 1963 J. GESMAR 3,081, 90

WINDOW FILTER FAN Filed 001:. 3, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r Q Q wi March 19, 1963 J. GESMAR 3,081,690

WINDOW FILTER FAN Filed Oct. 3,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,081,690 WINDGW FILTER FAN Jorgen Gesmar, Westport, Conn, assignor to General Electric ompany, a corporation of New York Fiied Oct. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 66,122 7 Claims. (Ci. 93-94) This invention relates to a ventilator unit to be mounted in a window, and more particularly, a ventilator unit capable of drawing ventilating air into an indoor space from the outside, or in the alternative, recirculating the air within an indoor space, or as still another alternative, performing a combination of the preceding two types of operation.

In ventilating apparatus of the type providing a means of drawing air from either an external or internal source into the space to be ventilated, the problem exists of providing a method of converting from one type of operation to the other with ease and facility. When the ventilator unit is fixed in a wall space, such as a window, so as to communicate with the outside, an inlet opening must be provided in the portion of the enclosure disposed on the outside, in order to draw outside air into the ventilator unit to be forced thence into the inside space to be ventilated. On occasion, it may be desired to merely recirculate the air within a room without drawing in outside air. Where the alternative types of operation are desired, it is apparent that, where the ventilator unit is fixed in place, separate inlet openings must be providedone to draw in outside air, and another to draw in the inside air. Problems arising in such design can readily be seen: for example, some valve means must be provided for shutting off the inlet fiow through one aperture when the air is being drawn in through the other aperture. Such a valve will inevitably add to the cost of manufacture, and raises inherent design problems since, among other considerations, it is necessary that such a valve arrangement be operable from within the inside space. Such a valve arrangement raises further difficulties in providing for accurate and desirable mixture of outside and inside air where a combination of the two types of operation is desired. In a design using separate inlet apertures for outside and inside air, a-still further cost consideration is to be seen in the possible necessity for more than one filter.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved ventilator unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ventilator unit capable of delivering into the ventilated space a choice of either outside air, recirculated inside air, or a mixture of both.

Another object or" the invention is to provide a ventilator unit providing a choice or a mixture of inside and outside air circulation in an inexpensive and simplified design using only a single air inlet and a single air filter.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved window fan in which the fan and motor is concealed thus having a more aesthetic appearance.

Briefly, and in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a ventilator fan is enclosed in a casing so as to be driven by a suitable prime mover, such as an electric motor. In the preferred embodiment, the motor is mounted with its axis of rotation disposed vertically. One sidewall of the rectangular casing has an opening therein to form an outlet to deliver the ventilating air into the space to be ventilated, The bottom of the casing has provided therein a single inlet aperture. The fan is disposed within the casing and above this inlet, and suitable shroud means provides a communicating duct for the air between the inlet and the fan blades. A suitable filter member may be disposed between the inlet aperture and the fan. The entire casing member has attached to the bottom portion a pair of rail members adapted to cooperate with a pair of channel members which may be secured in the space, such as a window, in which the ventilator unit is to be mounted. With this arrangement, the ventilator casing may be adjustably slid in and out of the window a limited distance along the channels so as to be disposed in any desired location between an extreme outward position, with the major portion of the casing outside the window, and an extreme inner position with the major portion of the casing on the inside of the window. It will be apparent that, with the casing on the outside, the inlet will draw in outside air, while with the casing on the inside position, the inlet will draw in inside air. in intermediate positions, the inlet will provide a mixture of inside and outside air, the proportionate parts of each being dependent upon the particular adjusted location of the unit.

Further objects, features and attending advantages of the invention will be apparent by reference to the following specification and drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial view in perspective of the ventilator unit and cooperating channels fixed to the sill of a window, the unit being shown removed from the window to reveal the support channels;

FIG. 2 is a partial cut-away view in side elevation of the unit assembled in a window or similar aperture and in its extreme outside position;

FIG. 3 is a cut-away view in simplified side elevation similar to the view of FIG. 2, but illustrating the flow of air with the unit in its extreme outside position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but illustrating the flow of air with the unit in its extreme inside position;

FIG. 5 is an exploded View in perspective of a rail and channel which enables the ventilating unit to be slidable within the window or other mounting space, together with the leveling device by which the entire assembly is adapted to the window or mounting space, and

FIG. 6 is a view in section of the rail and channel arrangement of FIG. 5, with the parts in their assembled relationship.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is generally indicated at l a rectangular casing which encloses the ventilator unit. The side wall 2 of casing 1 is open, and covered by a grill or louvered arrangement, and constitutes the exhaust or outlet for the ventilator unit. Casing member 1 further comprises top wall 3, side walls 4-, rear wall 5, and bottorn wall 6. Fixed to the bottom wall '6 is a pair of rail members, one of which is shown as at 7 in FIG. 1. These rail members 7 are adapted to cooperate with a pair of channeled members is secured to the sill 9 of a window or similar space, generally indicated at 19. While rail and channel members 7 and d are shown in the preferred embodiment as being located beneath the easing 1, they may be positioned in any other convenient manner, such as at either side of or above casing i, so as to effectively support casing 1 with respect to the window It or other mounting space. Within the casing 1 there is provided a fan motor generally indicated at 11 and having fan blades 12 attached thereto. While the fan motor 11 is shown with its axis or rotation disposed vertically, it may be positioned in any other suit able attitude.

In a horizontal wall of casing 1 there is provided an inlet aperture 13. As shown the preferred location of this aperture is in bottom wall 6. However, it may be located in top wall 3 if suitable protection from rain, snow and the like is provided. A shroud 14 provides a communicating duct for the inlet air between the inlet aperture 13 and the fan blades 12.. A suitable filter 15 overlies the inlet 13 to separate out foreign matter which might otherwise enter the fan compartment, and thence the interior ventilated space.

Understanding of the rail and channel arrangement which provides the slidable mounting of the unit may be had by reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. In the exploded view of PEG. 5, the members 7 and 8 correspond to the members designated by like numerals in FIG. 1, and as previously described, represent the cooperating rail or channel members by which the ventilator unit may be slidably moved outwardly and inwardly, alternative 1y, within the window or space in which the unit is mounted. The rail member '7 is of U-shaped cross-section, and is adapted to be fixed to the bottom of the ventilator unit with the two parallel legs of the U extending downwardly. The channel member 8, which is adapted to be fixed on the sill of a window, or similar support structure of the space in which the unit is to be mounted, is also of generally U-shaped cross-section, and is assembled with the parallel legs of the U extended upwardly. As will be seen by reference to FIG. 6, rail member 7, in its assembled relationship, is adapted to nest or interiit within the channel space of the member 8.

A third member of the slide assembly comprises the member 16 also of U-shaped cross-section, but substan tially shorter in length than the members 7 and 8. Member 16 is adapted to nest or interfit within the channel of member 8 with its parallel legs extending vertically upward. In each upstanding side leg of member 16 there is provided a plurality of ball bearing members 17. It will be observed by reference to FIG. 6 that the upstanding legs of member 16 extend between the parallel leg portions of members 7 and 8. It will also be noted that the parallel leg portions of members 7 and 8 are curved when viewed in section. The downwardly extending leg portions of member 7 are formed so as to curve inwardly, while the upper portions 18 of the upstanding leg portions of member 8 are formed to curve outwardly, It will be apparent by reference to FIG. 6 that the inner rail member 7, which supports the ventilator casing, is adapted to slide freely within the channel member '8 due to the anti-friction effect of the member is having ball bearings 17.

A suitable leveling device 19 may be provided for insuring the installation of the ventilator unit on a level plane. As seen in FIG. 5, one such leveling device 19 consists of a threaded shank 2! having a head 21 at one end thereof. Shank is received in a tubular member 22 supported by brackets 23. An adjusting nut 24 threadably receives shank 26) as that member 8, as best seen in FIGURE 6, may be raised or lowered to level the slide assembly by adjustment of nut 20. An appropriate positioning of leveling device 19 can be seen by reference to FIG. 2.

In operation, when the ventilator unit is moved to its extreme outer position with the major portion of the unit on the outside of the mounting aperture, as shown in FIG. 3, the air entering the inlet 13 is almost entirely outside air, so that the ventilating air directed into the living space through outlet 2 consists of air brought in from the outside and cleaned by being passed through filter 15. With the unit in its extreme inner position with the larger part of the casing on the inside of the window, as shown in FIG. 4, the air drawn in through the inlet 13 and exhausted into the room through outlet 2 is merely the ambient air within the indoor space itself, so that operation of the unit in this position filters and recirculates the inside air.

The unit can be located in any desirable position between the extreme outer and extreme inner positions, so as to deliver through the outlet 2 a stream of air comprised of a mixture of inside and outside air in any desired pro-portion, dependent upon the particular position of the ventilator casing along the slide channel structure.

The invention thus described provides a single unit for tl ventilating an inside living space by either drawing in outside air, recirculating inside air, or making use of a mixture of both types of air, and accomplishes this result by use of a single inlet, a single filter, and a single fan, and without the use of costly and complicated valving, ducting, and multiple inlet means.

While the foregoing embodiment has been illustrated and described, it is apparent that other changes and modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a window ventilator unit for mounting in a window having interior and exterior sides, a prime mover, a fan driven by said prime mover, a rectangular casing enclosing said fan and having top and bottom horizontal walls, vertical side walls, a first of said side walls adapted to be disposed on the interior side of the Window, a second of said side walls ada ted to be disposed on the exterior side of the Window, an air inlet in one of said horizontal walls, an outlet in said first side wall, a pair of rails secured to said casing, a pair of channels adapted to be secured transversely through the window, said rails and said channels adapted to be interfitted whereby said ventilator unit may be slidably movable along said channels said rails and said channels being arranged so that said casing may be positioned with the air inlet and air outlet openings inside the window so that the fan will circulate room air by causing the air to be drawn upwardly through the fan and generally horizontally outwardly through the outlet opening; said rails and said channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned rearwardly with the inlet opening outside of the window and the outlet opening inside the window so that the fan may force outside air through the inlet opcning through the fan and through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing; said rails and channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned with the air inlet opening partially inside the window and partially outside the Window so that inside and outside air may flow to the fan, be mixed and be forced outwardly through the outlet opening.

2. In a ventilator unit for mounting in a WlildOW having interior and exterior sides, an electric motor, a fan driven by said electric motor, a rectangular casing enclosing said fan and having top, bottom, and side walls,

said fan'having a generally vertical axis of rotation perpendicular to said bottom wall, a first of said side walls adapted to be disposed on the interior side of the window, a second of said side walls adapted to be disposed on the exterior side of the window, an air inlet in said bottom wall, an outlet in said first side wall, a pair of rails secured to said bottom wall, a pair of channels adapted to be secured transversely through the window, said rails and said channels adapted to be interfitted whereby said ventilator unit may be slidably movable along said channels said rails and said channels being arranged so that said casing may be positioned with the air inlet and air outlet openings inside the window so that the fan will circulate room air by causing the air to be drawn upwardly through the fan and generally horizontally outwardly through the outlet opening; said rails and said channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned rearwardly with the inlet opening outside of the window and the outlet opening inside the window so that the fan may force outside air through the inlet opening through the fan and through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing; and said rails and channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned with the air inlet opening partially inside the window and partially outside the window so that inside and outside air may flow to the fan, be mixed and be forced outwardly through the outlet opening.

3. In a ventilator unit for mounting in a window having interior and exterior sides, a prime mover, a fan driven by said prime mover, a rectangular casing enclosing said fan and having top, bottom, and side walls, a first of said side walls adapted to be disposed on the interior side of the window, a second of said side walls adapted to be disposed on the exterior side of the window, an air inlet in said bottom wall, a filter disposed within said casing and over said inlet, an outlet in said first side wall, a pair of rails secured to said bottom wall, a pair of channels adpated to be secured transversely through the window, said rails and said channels adapted to be interfitted whereby said ventilator unit may be slidably movable along said channels said rails and said channels being arranged so that said casing may be positioned with the air inlet and air outlet openings inside the window so that the fan will circulate room air by causing the air to be drawn upwardly through the fan and generally horizontally outwardly through the outlet opening; said rails and said channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned rearwardly with the inlet opening outside of the window and the outlet opening inside the window so that the fan may force outside air through the inlet opening through the fan and through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing; and said rails and channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned with the air inlet opening partially inside the window and partially outside the window so that inside and outside air may flow to the fan, be mixed and be forced outwardly through the outlet opening.

4. The invention of claim 3 in which said fan is mounted to rotate on an axis perpendicular to said bottom wall.

5. In a ventilator unit for mounting in a window having interior and exterior sides, a prime mover, a fan driven by said prime mover, a rectangular casing enclosing said fan and having top, bottom, and side walls, a first of said side walls adapted to be disposed on the interior side of the window, a second of said side walls adapted to be disposed on the exterior side of the Window, an air inlet in said bottom wall, an outlet in said first side wall, a pair of rails of U-shaped cross-section secured to said bottom wall, each of said U-shaped rails having parallel walls extending downwardly, a pair of generally U-shaped channels adapted to be secured transversely through the window, respective ones of said rails adapted to be interfitted Within respective ones of said channels, and anti-friction devices positioned in the spaces between the respective interfitted rails and channels said rails and said channels being arranged so that said casing may be positioned with the air inlet and air outlet openings inside the window so that the fan will circulate room air by causing the air to be drawn upwardly through the fan and generally horizontally outwardly through the outlet opening; said rails and said channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned rearwardly with the inlet opening outside of the window and the outlet opening inside the window so that the fan may force outside air through the inlet opening through the fan and through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing; and said rails and channels being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned with the air inlet opening partially inside the window and partially outside the window so that inside and outside air may fiow to the fan, 'be mixed and be forced outwardly through the outlet opening.

6. The invention of claim 5 in which said fan is mounted to rotate on an axis perpendicular to said bottom wall.

7. A window mounted fan comprising a rectangular casing having a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls; said bottom Wall being generally horizontally disposed, an enlarged air inlet opening formed in said bottom wall; said front Wall being generally vertically disposed, an air discharge opening formed in said front wall, an electric motor securely positioned within said casing, a fan positioned Within said casing, said fan being driven by said motor; first slide means adapted to be fixed in a window opening, second slide means fixed to the bottom wall of said casing, said first slide means being complementary to said second slide means so that said fan casing may be slid into various positions with respect to said window opening; said first and second slide means being arranged so that said fan casing may be positioned with the rear well outside of the window and the air inlet and air discharge openings inside the window so that the fan will circulate room air by causing the air to be drawn upwardly through the fan and generally horizontally outwardly through the opening formed in the front wall; said slide means being arranged so that said fan casing may be positioned rearwardly with the enlarged bottom opening outside of the window and the opening in the front wall inside the window so that the fan may force outside air through the enlarged bottom opening through the fan and through the opening formed in the front Wall of the casing; and said first and second slide means being arranged so that the fan casing may be positioned with the bottom inlet opening partially inside the window and partially outside the Window so that inside and outside air may flow to the fan, be mixed and be forced outwardly through the opening formed in the front wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,685,610 Morse Sept. 25, 1928 2,021,521 Sargent Nov. 13, 1935 2,119,935 Youker June 7, 1938 2,436,713 Cody Feb. 24, 1948 2,650,535 Hord Sept. 1, 1953 

1. IN A WINDOW VENTILATOR UNIT FOR MOUNTING IN A WINDOW HAVING INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SIDES, A PRIME MOVER, A FAN DRIVEN BY SAID PRIME MOVER, A RECTANGULAR CASING ENCLOSING SAID FAN AND HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM HORIZONTAL WALLS, VERTICAL SIDE WALLS, A FIRST OF SAID SIDE WALLS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ON THE INTERIOR SIDE OF THE WINDOW, A SECOND OF SAID SIDE WALLS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED ON THE EXTERIOR SIDE OF THE WINDOW, AN AIR INLET IN ONE OF SAID HORIZONTAL WALLS, AN OUTLET IN SAID FIRST SIDE WALL, A PAIR OF RAILS SECURED TO SAID CASING, A PAIR OF CHANNELS ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE WINDOW, SAID RAILS AND SAID CHANNELS ADAPTED TO BE INTERFITTED WHEREBY SAID VENTILATOR UNIT MAY BE SLIDABLY MOVABLE ALONG SAID CHANNELS SAID RAILS AND SAID CHANNELS BEING ARRANGED SO THAT SAID CASING MAY BE POSITIONED WITH THE AIR INLET AND AIR OUTLET OPENINGS INSIDE THE WINDOW SO THAT THE FAN WILL CIRCULATE ROOM AIR BY CAUSING THE AIR TO BE DRAWN UPWARDLY THROUGH THE FAN AND GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY OUTWARDLY THROUGH THE OUTLET OPENING; SAID RAILS AND SAID CHANNELS BEING ARRANGED SO THAT THE FAN CASING MAY BE POSITIONED REARWARDLY WITH THE INLET OPENING OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW AND THE OUTLET OPENING INSIDE THE WINDOW SO THAT THE FAN MAY FORCE OUTSIDE AIR THROUGH THE INLET OPENING THROUGH THE FAN AND THROUGH THE OPENING FORMED IN THE FRONT WALL OF THE CASING; SAID RAILS AND CHANNELS BEING ARRANGED SO THAT THE FAN CASING MAY BE POSITIONED WITH THE AIR INLET OPENING PARTIALLY INSIDE THE WINDOW AND PARTIALLY OUTSIDE THE WINDOW SO THAT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE AIR MAY FLOW TO THE FAN, BE MIXED AND BE FORCED OUTWARDLY THROUGH THE OUTLET OPENING. 